Association: a football association recognised by and a Member of FIFA.

Association Football: the game controlled by FIFA and organised in accordance with the Laws of the Game.

Board of Directors: refers to the Board of Directors of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association.

CAS: Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne (Switzerland).

CFU: Caribbean Football Union.

CONCACAF: Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football.

Confederation: a group of Associations recognised by FIFA and belonging to the same continent (or similar geographic area).

Constitution: the Statutes of the TTFA.

Club: a Member of an Association (that is a Member of FIFA) or of a League recognised by an Association.

Delegate: the representative of a Member at a General Meeting.

FA: a Football Association.

FIFA: Fédération Internationale de Football Association.

General Meeting: the supreme and legislative body of TTFA.

Member: a legal person that has been admitted into Membership of TTFA by the General Meeting.

Official: every board Member, committee Member, referee and assistant referee, coach, trainer and any other person (except Players) responsible for technical, medical and administrative matters in an Association, a League or a Club as well as any other persons obliged to comply with the FIFA Statutes.

Ordinary Courts: state courts which hear public and private legal disputes.

Player: a football player registered with an Association.

Players Association: the duly constituted body representing the interests of active players who are not Members of the Veteran Players Association.

The IFAB: The International Football Association Board (IFAB).

TTFA: the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association.

TTOC: the Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee.

NB: Terms referring to natural persons include both genders. Any term in the singular applies to the plural and vice-versa.

1I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1Name, headquarters, legal form

1 The national football federation of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago shall be called the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA). TTFA is a private organisation of an associative nature in compliance with the relevant legislation of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and incorporated by Act of Parliament (#17 of 1982). It is formed for an unlimited period.

2 Its headquarters is located in Port of Spain.

3 TTFA is a Member of FIFA, CONCACAF and CFU.

4 The flag of the TTFA shall be of a design approved by the General Meeting of the TTFA

5 The logo of TTFA is

Photo: The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) logo.

6 The flag, logo and abbreviation are legally registered with United States Patent and Trademark Office and the relevant local trademark authority.

Article 2Objectives

1 The objectives of TTFA are:

a) to improve the game of football constantly and promote, regulate and control it throughout the territory of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in the light of fair play and its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values, particularly through youth and development programmes;

b) to organise competitions in Association Football, futsal and beach soccer in all its forms at national level, by defining precisely, as required, the areas of authority conceded to the various Leagues of which it is composed;

c) to issue regulations and provisions and ensure their enforcement;

d) to protect the interests of its Members;

e) to respect and prevent any infringement of the Statutes, regulations, directives and decisions of FIFA, CONCACAF, CFU and TTFA as well as the Laws of the Game, and to ensure that these are also respected by its Members;

f) to foster, promote and encourage participation of nationals of Trinidad and Tobago in football at regional and international levels

g) to promote integrity, ethics and fair play with a view to preventing all methods or practices, such as corruption, doping or match manipulation, which might jeopardise the integrity of matches, competitions, Players, Officials and Members or give rise to abuse of Association Football, futsal or beach soccer;

h) to control and supervise Association Football, futsal and beach soccer at national level and to control and supervise all forms of international football matches played throughout the territory of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in accordance with the relevant Statutes and regulations of FIFA and CONCACAF;

i) to manage international sporting relations connected with Association Football in all its forms;

j) to host competitions at local, regional and international level within Trinidad and Tobago.

2 The Board of Directors may develop and promulgate policies with regard to the foregoing objectives, as well as in relation to Anti-Doping, Anti-Corruption, Fair Play and Non-Discrimination.

Photo: A Trinidad and Tobago supporter holds up a sign ahead of the Group B World Cup match between Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago at Kaiserslautern’s Fritz-Walter Stadium on 20 June 2006.(Copyright AFP 2014/Roberto Schmidt)

Article 3Neutrality and non-discrimination

1 TTFA is neutral in matters of party politics and religion.

2 Discrimination of any kind against a country, private person or group of people on account of race, skin colour, ethnic, national or social origin, gender, language, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, wealth, birth or any other status, sexual orientation or any other reason is strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.

Article 4Promoting friendly relations

1 TTFA shall promote friendly relations between its Members, Officials and Players and in society for humanitarian objectives.

2 Every person and organisation involved in the game of Association Football is obliged to observe the relevant statutes, regulations and the principles of fair play as well as the principles of loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship.

3 TTFA shall provide the necessary institutional means to resolve any internal dispute that may arise between the Members, Officials and Players of TTFA.

Article 5Players

1 The status of Players and the provisions for their transfer shall be regulated by the Board of Directors in accordance with the current FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.

2 Players shall be registered in accordance with the regulations of TTFA.

1 TTFA and each of its Members play Association Football in compliance with the Laws of the Game issued by The IFAB. Only The IFAB may lay down and alter the Laws of the Game.

2 TTFA and each of its Members shall play futsal and beach soccer in accordance with the Futsal Laws of the Game and the Beach Soccer Laws of the Game. Only FIFA may lay down and alter the Futsal Laws of the Game and the Beach Soccer Laws of the Game.

Article 7Conduct of bodies and Officials

The bodies and Officials of TTFA must observe the Statutes, regulations, directives, decisions and the Code of Ethics of FIFA, CONCACAF, CFU and TTFA in their activities.

Article 8Official languages

1 The official language of TTFA shall be English. Official documents and texts shall be written in this language.

2 The official language at the General Meeting shall be English.

II. MEMBERsHiP

Article 9Admission, suspension and expulsion

1 The General Meeting shall decide whether to admit, suspend or expel a Member.

2 Admission may be granted if the applicant fulfils the requirements of TTFA.

3 Membership is terminated by resignation or expulsion. Loss of Membership does not relieve the Member from its financial obligations towards TTFA or other Members, but leads to the loss of all rights in relation to TTFA.

2 Any legal person wishing to become a Member shall apply in writing to the General Secretariat. The application must be accompanied by the following mandatory items:

a) a copy of its legally valid constitution and regulations, which shall comply with the requirements of the Constitution;

b) a declaration that it will always comply with the Statutes, regulations and decisions of FIFA CONCACAF, CFU and TTFA and ensure that these are also respected by its own Members, officials and players;

c) a declaration that it will comply with the Laws of the Game in force;

d) a declaration that it will not take matters of interpretation and application of the FIFA, CONCACAF and TTFA Statutes, regulations, decisions and directives to Ordinary Courts, unless the FIFA, the CONCACAF or the TTFA regulations provide for or stipulate recourse to Ordinary Courts;

e) a declaration that it recognises the Arbitration Tribunal of TTFA and CAS, as specified in this Constitution;

f) a declaration that it is located and registered in the territory of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago;

g) a declaration that it will play all official home matches in the territory of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago;

h) a declaration to the effect that the legal composition of the applicant guarantees that it can make decisions independently of any external entity;

i) a list of Officials, specifying those who are authorised signatories with the right to enter into legally binding agreements with third parties;

j) a declaration that it undertakes to organise or participate in friendly matches only with the prior consent of TTFA;

k) a copy of the minutes of its last General Meeting or constitutional meeting and a copy of its audited financial statements for the previous financial year.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team coach Stephen Hart (left) enjoys a light moment with assistant coach Derek King before kick off against Nicaragua in Port of Spain.(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Article 11Request and procedure for application

1 The Board of Directors shall request the General Meeting either to admit or not to admit an applicant. The applicant may state the reasons for its application to the General Meeting.

2 The new Member shall acquire Membership rights and duties as soon as it has been admitted.

Article 12Members’ rights

1 The Members have the following rights:

a) to take part in the General Meeting, to receive its agenda in advance, to be called to the General Meeting within the prescribed time and to exercise their voting rights;

b) to submit proposals for inclusion in the agenda of the General Meeting;

c) to nominate candidates for elections to all bodies of TTFA;

d) to be informed of the affairs of TTFA through the official bodies of TTFA;

e) to take part in competitions and/or other activities organised by TTFA;

f) to exercise all other rights arising from the Constitution and regulations of TTFA.

2 The exercise of these rights is subject to other provisions in this Constitution and the applicable regulations.

a) to comply fully with the Statutes, regulations, directives and decisions of FIFA, CONCACAF, CFU and TTFA at all times and to ensure that these are also respected by its Members;

b) to ensure the election of the members of its decision-making bodies (at least every four years);

c) to convene its supreme and legislative body at regular intervals (as a general rule, once a year);

d) to take part in competitions and other sporting activities organised by TTFA;

e) to pay its Membership subscriptions;

f) to respect the Laws of the Game as laid down by The IFAB and the Beach Soccer Laws of the Game and the Futsal Laws of the Game as laid down by FIFA, and to ensure that these are also respected by its Members through a statutory provision;

g) to adopt a statutory clause specifying that any dispute requiring arbitration involving itself or one of its Members and relating to the Statutes, regulations, directives and decisions of FIFA, CONCACAF, TTFA or the Leagues shall only be referred to an Arbitration Tribunal of TTFA or CAS, both as specified in the FIFA Statutes and in this Constitution, and that any recourse to Ordinary Courts is prohibited;

h) to communicate to TTFA any amendment of its constitution and regulations as well as the list of its Officials or persons who are authorised signatories with the right to enter into legally binding agreements with third parties;

i) not to maintain any relations of a sporting nature with entities that are not recognised or with Members that have been suspended or expelled;

j) to observe the principles of loyalty, integrity and good sporting behaviour as an expression of fair play through a statutory provision;

k) to observe the mandatory items specified under article 10 paragraph 2 for the duration of their affiliation;

l) to administer a register of their own members which shall regularly be updated;

m) to ratify a constitution that is in accordance with the requirements of this Constitution;

n) to comply fully with all other duties arising from the Statutes and other regulations of FIFA, CONCACAF and TTFA.

2 Members are required to take all reasonable precaution necessary to prevent assaults on players and officials before, during or at the conclusion of matches. Members shall also be held responsible for any misconduct or unsporting conduct of their coaches and other staff. Members shall be guilty of misconduct if they fail to inform the judicial body of TTFA that they have taken all reasonable precautions to prevent disorderly behaviour of any kind or the threatening and/or assaulting of officials and players before, during and after matches. Members are also required to prevent fraud in sports betting.

3 Violation of the above-mentioned obligations by any Member may lead to sanctions provided for in this Constitution.

1 The General Meeting is responsible for suspending a Member. The Board of Directors may, however, suspend a Member that seriously violates its obligations as a Member with immediate effect. In this case, the suspension shall last until the next General Meeting, unless the Board of Directors has lifted it in the meantime. The Board of Directors may suspend a person on a provisional basis and immediately refer the matter to the appropriate judicial body.

2 A suspension shall be confirmed at the next General Meeting by two thirds (2/3) of the Members present and eligible to vote. If it is not confirmed, the suspension is automatically lifted.

3 A suspended Member shall lose its Membership rights. Other Members may not entertain sporting contact with a suspended Member. The judicial bodies may impose further sanctions.

4 Members that do not participate in the activities of TTFA (e.g. sporting activities) for two consecutive years shall automatically be suspended from voting at the General Meeting.

Article 15Expulsion

1 The General Meeting may expel a Member if:

a) it fails to fulfil its financial obligations towards TTFA;

b) it seriously violates the Statutes, regulations, directives or decisions of FIFA, CONCACAF, CFU and TTFA;

c) it brings a dispute to an Ordinary Court, except in cases where the FIFA, CONCACAF or TTFA regulations or binding legal provisions specifically provide for or stipulate recourse to Ordinary Courts;

2 The presence of a majority (more than 50%) of the Members eligible to vote is necessary for an expulsion to be valid, and the motion for expulsion must be adopted by a three-quarter majority of the valid votes cast.

Article 16Resignation

1 A Member may resign from TTFA with effect from the end of a football season. Notice of resignation must reach the General Secretariat no later than four months before the end of the football season.

2 The resignation is not valid until the Member wishing to resign has fulfilled its financial obligations towards TTFA and the other Members.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago striker Kadeem Corbin celebrates his strike against Aruba in the 2015 CONCACAF Under-20 Championships in Jamaica.He was booked for the gesture by Bahamian official Randolph Harris.(Courtesy CONCACAF)

Article 17Independence of Members and their bodies

1 Each Member shall manage its affairs independently and with no influence from third parties.

2 The members of the Members’ bodies shall be either elected or appointed. The Members’ constitution shall provide for a procedure that guarantees the complete independence of the election or appointment.

3 Any members of the Members’ bodies that have not been elected or appointed in compliance with the provisions of par. 2, even on an interim basis, shall not be recognised by the TTFA.

4 Decisions passed by bodies that do not comply with the provisions of par. 2 shall not be recognised by the TTFA.

Article 18Status of Clubs, Leagues, Regional Associations and other groups of Clubs

Clubs, Leagues or any other groups of Clubs affiliated to TTFA shall be subordinate to and recognised by TTFA. There shall only be one top-tier national league on the territory the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. This Constitution defines the scope of authority and the rights and duties of these Clubs and groups. Their constitution (and any amendments thereof) must be approved by the Board of Directors.

Matters in relation to referees, disciplinary issues, anti-doping, club licensing and player registrations (ITC) shall remain under the exclusive jurisdiction of TTFA.

The affiliated Clubs and groups of TTFA shall take all decisions on any matters regarding their Membership independently of any external body. This obligation applies regardless of their corporate structure.

In any case, no natural or legal person (including holding companies and subsidiaries) shall exercise control over more than one Club or group whenever the integrity of any match or competition could be jeopardised.

1 The General Meeting may bestow the title of honorary president or honorary member upon any person for meritorious service to football, locally, regionally or internationally.

2 The Board of Directors shall make these nominations.

3 The honorary president or the honorary member may take part in the General Meeting. They may join the debates but are not entitled to vote.

IV. ORGANISATION

Article 20Bodies of the TTFA

1 The General Meeting is the supreme and legislative body.

2 The Board of Directors is the Executive body.

3 Standing and ad-hoc committees shall advise and assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its duties. Their duties, composition and function are defined in this Constitution and/or special regulations drawn up by the Board of Directors.

4 The General Secretariat is the administrative body.

5 The judicial bodies are the Disciplinary Committee, the Ethics Committee and the Appeal Committee.

6 The Club Licensing Committee is in charge of the club licensing system within the TTFA.

7 The Electoral Committee is the body in charge of organising and supervising the election process.

8 The bodies of TTFA shall be either elected or appointed by TTFA itself without any external influence and in accordance with the procedures described in this Constitution. The Members of the bodies shall not have previously been found guilty of any criminal offence incompatible with the position.

9 Any Member of the bodies of TTFA must withdraw from the debate and from taking a decision if there is any risk or possibility of a conflict of interest.

Photo: Just over 20,000 Trinidad and Tobago supporters came out to watch the “Women Soca Warriors” face Ecuador in Port of Spain on 2 December 2014.(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

A. GENERAL MEETING

Article 21Definition and composition of the General Meeting

1 The General Meeting is the meeting at which all of the Members regularly convene. It represents the supreme and legislative authority of TTFA. Only a General Meeting that is duly convened has the authority to make decisions.

2 A General Meeting may be an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting.

3 The General Meeting may appoint observers who take part in the General Meeting without the right to debate or to vote.

4 The honorary presidents or honorary members may take part in the General Meeting. They may join the debates but are not entitled to vote.

Article 22Delegates and votes

1 The General Meeting is composed of 49 Delegates. The number of Delegates is allocated as follows:

a) TT Pro League clubs 10 delegates

b) National Super League clubs 8 delegates

c) For the Regional Associations

– Central FA 3 delegates

– Eastern FA 3 delegates

– Eastern Counties Football Union 3 delegates

– Northern FA 3 delegates

– Southern FA 3 delegates

– Tobago FA 3 delegates

d) Women Association 2 delegates

e) Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association 2 delegates

f) Futsal Association of T&T (FATT) 2 delegates

g) Primary Schools League 1 delegate

h) Secondary School Football League 1 delegate

i) TTAYSO 1 delegate

h) Players Association 1 delegate

i) Coaches Association 1 delegate

j) T&T Beach Soccer Association 1 delegate

k) Veteran Footballers Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago 1 delegate

2 Each Delegate shall have one (1) vote in the General Meeting. Only the Delegates present are entitled to vote. Voting by proxy or by letter is not permitted.

3 Delegates must belong to the Member that they represent and be appointed or elected by the appropriate body of that Member. They must also be able to produce evidence of this upon request. The Delegates of the Super League will be elected among the members of the Super League Premiership Division on an annual basis.

4 The Board of Directors and the General Secretary shall take part in the General Meeting without voting rights. During their terms of office, members of the Board of Directors may not be appointed as delegates of a Member.

b) appointing three Delegates to review the minutes of the foregoing General Meeting; which will be tabled to the general meeting for ratification as per article 31

c) electing or dismissing the President and the Vice-Presidents of the Board of Directors;

d) electing or dismissing the other members of the Board of Directors upon proposal of the Member they represent;

e) electing or dismissing the chairman, deputy chairman and members of the judicial bodies upon the proposal of the Board of Directors;

f) electing or dismissing the members of the Audit and Compliance Committee upon the proposal of the Board of Directors;

g) electing or dismissing the members of the Electoral Committee;

h) appointing the scrutineers;

i) approving the financial statements;

j) approving the budget;

k) approving the activity report;

l) appointing the independent external auditors upon the proposal of the Board of Directors;

m) fixing the Membership subscriptions on the recommendation of the Board of Directors;

n) deciding, upon the nomination of the Board of Directors, whether to bestow the title of honorary president or honorary Member;

o) admitting, suspending or expelling a Member;

p) dismissing one or a number of members of a body of TTFA;

q) dissolving TTFA;

r) passing decisions on matters duly submitted by a Member to the General Meeting.

Article 24Quorum of the General Meeting

1 Decisions passed by the General Meeting shall only be valid if a majority (more than 50%) of the delegates representing the Members eligible to vote are present.

2 If a quorum is not achieved thirty (30) minutes after the scheduled start of the General Meeting, the General Meeting shall be reconvened fourteen (14) days later at the same place or at a venue notified by the General Secretary at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting date.

3 A quorum is not required for the second meeting of the General Meeting unless any item on the agenda proposes the amendment of the Constitution, the election of a member of the Board of Directors, the dismissal of a member of a body of TTFA, the expulsion of a Member or the dissolution of TTFA.

Photo: Spectators enjoy the action between Real Maracas and Club Sando in a CNG National Super League game at the Maracas Recreation Ground.(Courtesy Sinead Peters/Wired868)

Article 25Decisions of the General Meeting

1 A decision that requires a vote shall be reached by a show of hands or by means of an electronic count. If a show of hands does not result in a clear majority in favour of a motion, the vote shall be taken by calling the roll in alphabetical order.

2 Unless otherwise stipulated in this Constitution, a majority (more than 50%) of the valid votes cast is sufficient for a decision to be valid. Blank ballot papers, invalid votes or electronic votes manipulated in any other way as well as abstentions shall be disregarded when calculating the majority.

Article 26Elections

1 Elections shall be conducted by position and shall be conducted by secret ballot.

2 Elections of TTFA, of Members and of members of Members of TTFA shall be conducted in accordance with the Electoral Code of TTFA drawn up by the Board of Directors and adopted by the General Meeting

3 A majority (more than 50%) of the valid votes cast is necessary for the election of the President. If there are more than two candidates for the office of President, whoever obtains the lowest number of votes is eliminated as from the second ballot until only two candidates are left.

4 A majority (more than 50%) of the valid votes cast is necessary for the election of the Vice-President(s) of the Board of Directors. If there are more than three candidates for one position, only the three candidates with the most votes in the first ballot shall proceed to the second ballot. In the second ballot, whoever obtains the most votes shall be elected. If there are three candidates or less for one position, whoever obtains the most votes in the first ballot shall be elected.

5 For the election of the chairmen, deputy chairmen and Members of all other bodies of TTFA, the candidate(s) who receive(s) the most votes in respect of the free seat(s) shall be elected.

6 In case of a tied vote, new ballots shall be conducted until the respective candidate is elected in accordance with the procedure set forth by the present provision.

Photo: A Soca Warrior fan enjoys the action between Trinidad and Tobago and Panama at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Article 27Annual General Meeting

1 The Annual General Meeting shall be held every year in the month of September. If it is not possible to hold the meeting in September, the date of the meeting by the Board of Directors on the date not later than 30th of November of the said year.

2 The Board of Directors shall fix the place and date. The Members shall be notified in writing at least 60 days in advance.

3 The formal convocation shall be made in writing at least 14 days before the date of the Annual General Meeting. This convocation shall contain the agenda, the activity report, the financial statements, the independent external auditors’ report, and the minutes of the last general meeting as well as any other relevant documents.

Article 28Agenda of the Annual General Meeting

1 The General Secretary shall draw up the agenda based on proposals from the Board of Directors and the Members. Any proposal that a Member wishes to submit to the General Meeting shall be sent to the General Secretariat in writing, with a brief explanation, at least 40 days before the date of the Annual General Meeting.

2 The Annual General Meeting agenda shall include the following mandatory items (in chronological order):

a) a declaration that the Annual General Meeting has been convened and composed in compliance with the Constitution;

b) approval of the agenda;

c) an address by the President;

d) appointment of Delegates to check the minutes;

e) appointment of scrutineers;

f) suspension or expulsion of Members (if applicable);

g) business arising from the approval of the minutes of the preceding General Meeting;

h) activity report (containing the activities since the last General Meeting);

i) presentation of the consolidated and revised balance sheet and the profit and loss statement;

j) approval of the financial statements;

k) approval of the budget;

l) votes on proposals for amendments to the Constitution (if applicable);

m) discussion of proposals submitted by the Members and the Board of Directors;

n) appointment of independent external auditors (if applicable) upon the proposal of the Board of Directors;

o) dismissal of a member of a body of TTFA (if applicable);

p) election of the President, Vice-Presidents and members of the Board of Directors (if applicable);

q) election of the Members of the judicial bodies (if applicable);

r) election of the Members of the Audit and Compliance Committee (if applicable);

s) election of the Members of the Electoral Committee (if applicable);

t) admission for Membership (if applicable) 12

3 The Annual General Meeting shall not take a decision on any point not included in the agenda. However, the agenda of an Annual General Meeting may be altered, provided that two thirds (2/3) of the Delegates present at the Annual General Meeting and eligible to vote agree to such a motion.

1 The Board of Directors may convene an Extraordinary General Meeting at any time.

2 The Board of Directors shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting if a majority (more than 50%) of the Members make such a request in writing. The request shall specify the items for the agenda. An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be held within 30 days of receipt of the request, unless the agenda includes the election of members of the Board of Directors or the members of the Electoral Committee, in which case the Extraordinary General Meeting shall be held within 60 days of receipt of the request. If an Extraordinary General Meeting is not convened within the indicated time, the Members who requested it may convene the Extraordinary General Meeting themselves. As a last resort, the Members may request assistance from FIFA and CONCACAF.

3 The Members shall be notified of the place, date and agenda at least 10 days before the date of an Extraordinary General Meeting.

4 When an Extraordinary General Meeting is convened on the initiative of the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors shall draw up the agenda. When an Extraordinary General Meeting is convened upon the request of Members, the agenda shall contain the points raised by those Members.

5 If one of the items in the agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting includes the election of members of the Board of Directors or members of the Electoral Committee, the Board of Directors shall notify the Members at least 55 days before the date of the Extraordinary General Meeting about the upcoming elections.

6 The agenda of an Extraordinary General Meeting may not be altered.

Article 30Amendments to the Constitution

1 The General Meeting is responsible for amending the Constitution.

2 Any proposals for an amendment to the Constitution must be submitted in writing with a brief explanation to the General Secretariat by a Member or by the Board of Directors.

3 For a vote on an amendment to the Constitution to be valid, a majority (more than 50%) of the Members eligible to vote must be present.

The General Secretary shall be responsible for recording the minutes at the General Meeting. The minutes shall be checked by those Members designated, and finally approved at the next General Meeting.

Article 32Effective dates of decisions

Decisions passed by the General Meeting shall come into effect immediately, unless otherwise stipulated in the present Constitution or unless the General Meeting fixes another date for a decision to take effect.

B. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Article 33Composition

The Board of Directors consists of 14 members. The members of the Board of Directors are:

1 President

3 Vice-Presidents

1 member representing each of the following Regional Associations (total 6 members):

Central FA

Eastern FA

Eastern Counties Football Union

Northern FA

Southern FA

Tobago FA

1 member representing the Pro League

1 female member representing the Women Association

1 member representing the Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association

1 member representing the Trinidad and Tobago Super League

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago midfielder and captain Maylee Attin-Johnson (right) advances with the ball under pressure Ecuador star Gianina Lattanzio during the first leg of the 2015 FIFA Play Off in Quito.(Copyright AFP 2014/Rodrigo Buendia)

Article 34Election of the members of the Board of Directors

1 The President and the Vice-Presidents of the Board of Directors shall be elected by the General Meeting.

The members representing the Regional Associations, the Women Association, Pro League, and the Player Association shall be proposed by the Member they represent and confirmed by the General Meeting. Each proposed candidate shall belong to the respective Member and be elected by the appropriate body of that Member for the purpose of being the candidate for the office of member of the Board of Directors. The election at Member level shall be conducted in compliance with the Electoral Committee.

2 Candidatures for the office of President and Vice-President of the Board of Directors must be sent to the General Secretariat in writing at least 40 days before the General Meeting where the election of the members of the Board of Directors shall be held.

The Regional Associations, the Women Association and the Player Association shall inform the General Secretariat in writing at least 40 days before the General Meeting about the candidate that it has elected as representative for the office of member of the Board of Directors. This announcement shall be submitted together with a written confirmation where the Member states that the election of the candidate has been held in compliance with the Electoral Committee. If the Member fails to do so within the prescribed time, if the candidate does not fulfil the given requirements, or if the General Meeting disapproves the candidate, the right of the Member to propose a candidate for the office of member of the Board of the Directors forfeits automatically until the next Annual General Meeting. If a candidate is elected in a subsequent General Meeting, the length of his/her mandate shall be adjusted to the remaining ordinary term of office of the President.

3 The official list of candidates must be passed to the Members along with the agenda for the General Meeting at which the Board of Directors will be elected.

4 The mandates shall begin after the end of the General Meeting which elected the members of the Board of Directors. The length of a mandate shall be four years.

5 Subject to the President, who may only preside for maximum two full consecutive terms of office as President, the members of the Board of Directors may be re-elected repeatedly.

6 Any candidate that wishes to become a member of the Board of Directors shall fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

Candidates shall have been active in football for at least three years during the five years preceding the election. This activity must have been performed in a managerial or a similar position in the territory of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Candidates may not have previously been found guilty of an indictable offence.

Candidates shall be nationals of and shall have permanent residence in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Candidatures for the office of President and Vice-President of the Board of Directors shall be supported by at least one Member. Candidatures for the other positions of the Board of Directors shall be proposed by the Member they represent.

The candidate for the office of member representing the Women Association must be female.

7 A member of the Board of Directors may not at the same time be a member of a judicial body, the Electoral Committee or the Audit and Compliance Committee.

8 A position will be considered vacant

in case of death or permanent disability of a member of the Board of Directors;

in case a member is dismissed by the General Meeting and/or resigns from his/her position;

if a member of the Board of Directors, irrespective of the reason, does not participate in four consecutive meetings of the Board of Directors.

9 If the office of President becomes vacant, the longest serving Vice-President shall fill the position until the next General Meeting, when a replacement will be elected for the remaining period of office. If the office of Vice-President of the Board of Directors becomes vacant, the Board of Directors shall fill the position(s) in question until the next General Meeting, when a replacement will be elected for the remaining period of office.

If the position of member of the Board of Directors representing a Regional Association, the Women Association or the Player Association becomes vacant, the executive body of the respective Member shall fill the position provisionally and immediately call for elections of the replacement at the Member’s next general meeting.

10 If more than 50% of the positions of the Board of Directors become vacant, the General Secretary shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting in order to hold elections for a new term. If the Secretary General is not available or fails to convene the Extraordinary General Meeting within the prescribed period of time, the Emergency Committee shall convene it.

1 The President shall convene the meetings of the Board of Directors at least once every two months. Moreover, if 50% of the members of the Board of Directors request a meeting in writing, the President shall convene it within ten days. If the President does not convene the requested meeting by the aforementioned period of time, the other members of the Board of Directors may convene it themselves.

2 The President shall compile the agenda. Each member of the Board of Directors is entitled to propose items for inclusion in the agenda. The members of the Board of Directors must submit the points they wish to be included in the agenda for the meeting to the General Secretariat in writing and at least six working days before the meeting. The agenda must be sent out to the Members of the Board of Directors at least three working days before the meeting.

3 The General Secretary shall take part in the meetings of the Board of Directors in a consultative role. If the General Secretary is unable to attend a meeting, he may nominate a representative to attend the meeting on his behalf, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.

4 The meetings of the Board of Directors shall not be held in public. The Board of Directors may, however, invite third parties to attend. Those third parties shall not have voting rights, and may only express an opinion with the permission of the Board of Directors.

5 If a Member of the Board of Directors is unable to attend a meeting due to private matters, he may be allowed to participate in the meeting via teleconference, video conference or similar media.

Article 36Powers of the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors:

a) shall pass decisions on all cases that do not come within the sphere of responsibility of the General Meeting or are not reserved for other bodies by law or under this Constitution;

b) shall prepare and convene the Annual and Extraordinary General Meeting;

c) shall appoint the chairmen, deputy chairmen and members of the standing committees;

d) shall propose the members of the judicial bodies and the Audit and Compliance Committee to the General Meeting;

d) may decide to set up ad-hoc committees if necessary at any time;

e) shall compile the regulations for the organisation of standing committees and ad-hoc committees;

f) shall appoint or dismiss the General Secretary on the proposal of the President;

g) shall propose the independent external auditors to the General Meeting;

h) shall appoint replacements for vacancies for the positions of President and Vice-President of the Board of Directors as well as vacancies in the judicial bodies, Electoral Committee or the Audit and Compliance Committee until the next General Meeting;

i) shall issue regulations governing the conditions of participation in and the staging of competitions organised by TTFA;

j) shall appoint the coaches for the representative teams and other technical staff;

l) shall ensure that the Constitution is applied and adopt the Executive arrangements required for its application;

m) may dismiss a person or body or suspend a Member provisionally until the next General Meeting;

n) may delegate tasks arising out of its area of authority to other bodies of TTFA or third parties;

o) may appoint observers who may take part in the General Meeting without the right to debate or to vote.

p) shall have the power to mortgage, pledge or otherwise create a security over any property of the TTFA, provided that

– the security has been concluded in order to satisfy an urgent contractual obligation of the TTFA;

– the security does not surpass the amount of $1,000,000 (TTD)

Photo: San Juan Jabloteh captain Damian Williams (right) offers hand to Morvant Caledonia United player Sheldon Holder as he stretchered off during 2015/16 Pro League action.(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)

Article 37Decisions

1 The Board of Directors shall not engage in valid debate unless 50% of its members are present.

2 The Board of Directors shall reach decisions by a majority (more than 50%) of the valid votes cast. In the event of a tied vote, the President shall have the casting vote. Voting by proxy or by letter is not permitted.

3 Any Member of the Board of Directors must withdraw from the debate and from taking a decision if there is any risk or possibility of a conflict of interests

4 The decisions taken shall be recorded in the minutes.

5 The decisions taken by the Board of Directors shall come into effect immediately, unless the Board of Directors decides otherwise.

Article 38Dismissal of a person or body

1 The General Meeting may dismiss a person or a member of a body. The Board of Directors may place the dismissal of a person or a member of a body on the agenda for the General Meeting. The Board of Directors may also dismiss a person or a member of a body provisionally. Any Board of Directors Member may submit a proposal to place such a motion for dismissal on the agenda of the Board of Directors or General Meeting.

2 The motion for dismissal must be justified. It will be sent to the Members of the Board of Directors and/or to the Members along with the agenda.

3 The person or body in question has the right to defend him- or herself.

4 The motion for dismissal shall be decided by means of secret ballot. For the motion to be passed, a majority of three quarters of the valid votes is required.

5 The person or body dismissed (provisionally) is relieved of his or its functions with immediate effect.

Photo: A Trinidad and Tobago football fan waves his flag during their 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup fixture against Cuba in Phoenix.(Courtesy CONCACAF)

C. PRESIDENT

Article 39President

1 The President represents TTFA legally.

2 He is primarily responsible for:

a) implementing the decisions passed by the General Meeting and the Board of Directors through the General Secretariat;

b) ensuring the effective functioning of the bodies of TTFA in order that they achieve the objectives described in this Constitution;

c) supervising the work of the General Secretariat;

d) relations between TTFA and its Members, FIFA, CONCACAF, CFU, political bodies and other organisations.

3 Only the President may propose the appointment or dismissal of the General Secretary.

4 The President shall preside over the General Meeting, the Board of Directors and Emergency Committee meetings and those committees of which he has been appointed chairman.

5 The President shall have an ordinary vote on the Board of Directors and, whenever votes are equal, shall have a casting vote.

6 If the President is absent or unavailable, the longest-serving Vice-President available shall assume the responsibilities of the President.

7 If the position of the President becomes vacant, the longest-serving Vice-President shall deputise until the next General Meeting. This General Meeting shall elect a new President for the remaining period of office.

8 Any additional powers of the President shall be contained in the Internal Organisation Regulations.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president Raymond Tim Kee (right) and former general secretary Sheldon Phillips.(Courtesy Wired868)

Article 40Candidates for the office of President

1 The President shall be elected by the General Meeting for a period of four years. His mandate shall begin after the end of the General Meeting which has elected him. A President may be re-elected for one term.

2 Only Members may propose candidates for the office of President.

3 The General Secretariat shall notify the Members of the names of the proposed candidates at least 10 days before the date of the General Meeting.

Article 41Representation and signature

The President represents TTFA legally and is entitled to sign for TTFA. The Board of Directors shall set up Internal Organisation Regulations regarding the joint signature of office-holders, in particular, in case of the President’s absence and concerning all important business of TTFA.

D. EMERGENCY COMMITTEE

Article 42Emergency Committee

1 The Emergency Committee shall deal with all matters requiring immediate settlement between two meetings of the Board of Directors. The Committee shall consist of the President, Vice President, and four members chosen from amongst the Members of the Board of Directors and appointed by the Board of Directors for a period of four years.

2 The President shall convene the Emergency Committee meetings. If a meeting cannot be convened within an appropriate period of time, decisions may be passed through other means of communication. Such decisions shall have immediate legal effect. The President shall notify the Board of Directors immediately of the decisions passed by the Emergency Committee.

3 The Emergency Committee shall not engage in valid debate unless a majority (more than 50%) of its Members are present. The Emergency Committee shall reach decisions by a majority (more than 50%) of the valid votes cast. In the event of a tied vote, the President shall have the casting vote.

4 All decisions taken by the Emergency Committee shall be ratified by the Board of Directors at its next meeting.

5 If the President is unable to attend a meeting, the longest-serving vice-president, who shall be a Member of the Emergency Committee, shall deputise. If none of the Vice-Presidents are Members of the Emergency Committee, the longest-serving Member of the Emergency Committee shall deputise.

2 The chairmen of the standing committees shall be Members of the Board of Directors with the exception of those for the Audit and Compliance Committee, who may not belong to the Board of Directors. The other members of each standing committee shall be appointed by the Board of Directors. The members of the standing committees shall be designated for a term of office of four years.

3 Each standing committee shall consist of a chairman, a deputy chairman and maximal 5 other members.

4 Each chairman shall represent his/her committee and conduct business in compliance with the relevant Organisation Regulations drawn up by the Board of Directors.

5 Each chairman shall fix the dates of meetings in collaboration with the General Secretary, ensure that all tasks are carried out and report back to the Board of Directors.

6 Each committee may propose amendments to its regulations to the Board of Directors.

The Finance Committee shall monitor the financial management and advise the Board of Directors on financial matters and asset management. It shall analyse the budget of TTFA and the financial statements prepared by the General Secretary and submit them to the Board of Directors for approval.

Article 45Audit and Compliance Committee

1 The Audit and Compliance Committee shall ensure the completeness and reliability of the financial accounting and review the financial statements, the consolidated financial statement and the independent external auditors’ reports.

2 The Audit and Compliance Committee shall advise and assist the Board of Directors in monitoring the Association’s financial and compliance matters, and issue and monitor compliance with the relevant regulations of the Association.

3 The chairman, deputy chairman and Members of the Audit and Compliance Committee shall be elected by the General Meeting upon the proposal of the Board of Directors for a period of four years and may only be relieved of their duties by the General Meeting.

4 The chairman and deputy chairman of the Audit and Compliance Committee shall be independent from TTFA, its bodies and Members.

5 If the chairman, the deputy chairman or a member of the Audit and Compliance Committee permanently ceases to perform his official function during his term of office, the Board of Directors shall appoint a replacement to serve until the next General Meeting.

The Organising Committee for TTFA Competitions shall proposethe competitions of TTFA in compliance with the provisions of these Constitution and the regulations applicable to TTFA’s competitions.

Article 47Technical and Development Committee

The Technical and Development Committee shall primarily analyse the basic aspects of football training and technical development.

Article 48Referees Committee

The Referees Committee shall implement the Laws of the Game. It shall appoint the referees for matches in competitions organised by TTFA, organise refereeing matters within TTFA and its member associations in collaboration with the administration of TTFA and monitor the education and training of referees. The duties and responsibilities of the Referees Committee shall comply with the applicable FIFA Regulations on the Organisation of Refereeing in FIFA Member Associations.

Article 49Legal Committee

The Legal Committee shall analyse basic legal issues relating to football and the evolution of the Constitution, rules and regulations of TTFA and its Members.

The Committee for Women’s Football shall organise the women’s football competitions of TTFA and deal with all matters relating to women’s football.

Article 51Youth Football and Development Committee

The Youth Football and Development Committee shall organise the youth football competitions of TTFA and deal with all matters relating to youth football.

Article 52Sports Medicine Committee

The Sports Medicine Committee shall deal with all medical aspects of football.

Article 53Players’ Status Committee

1 The Players’ Status Committee shall set up and monitor compliance with transfer regulations in accordance with the applicable FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players and determine the status of Players for the various competitions of TTFA. The Board of Directors may issue special regulations governing the Players’ Status Committee’s powers of jurisdiction.

2 Players’ status disputes involving TTFA, its Members, Players, Officials and match and players’ agents shall be settled in the last instance by an Arbitration Tribunal in accordance with this Constitution and subject to any applicable national law.

The Marketing Committee shall advise the Board of Directors with regard to drafting and implementing contracts between TTFA and its marketing partners and analyse marketing strategies that have been devised.

Article 55Ad-hoc committees

The Board of Directors may, if necessary, create ad-hoc committees for special duties and a limited period of time. The Board of Directors shall appoint a chairman, a deputy chairman and an appropriate number of members. The duties and functions are defined in special regulations drawn up by the Board of Directors. An ad-hoc committee shall report directly to the Board of Directors.

F. OTHER BODIES

Article 56Club Licensing Committee

1 The Club Licensing Committee is in charge of the club licensing system within the TTFA in accordance with the regulations of TTFA.

2 The Board of Directors shall issue regulations regarding a club licensing system governing the participation of Clubs in the competitions of TTFA, in conformity with the FIFA Club Licensing Regulations and the minimum requirements of the club licensing system set up by CONCACAF.

The Electoral Committee is the body in charge of organising and supervising the election process in accordance with the Electoral Code of TTFA.

G. GENERAL SECRETARIAT

Article 58General Secretariat

The General Secretariat shall carry out all the administrative work of TTFA under the direction of the General Secretary. The members of the General Secretariat are bound by the Internal Organisation Regulations and shall fulfil the given tasks in good faith.

Article 59General Secretary

1 The General Secretary is the Chief Executive Officer of the General Secretariat.

2 He shall be appointed on the basis of an agreement governed by private law and shall have the necessary professional qualifications.

3 He shall be responsible for:

a) implementing decisions passed by the General Meeting and Board of Directors in compliance with the President’s directives;

b) attending the General Meeting and meetings of the Board of Directors, Emergency Committee and the standing and ad-hoc committees;

c) organising the General Meeting and meetings of the Board of Directors and other bodies;

d) compiling the minutes for the meetings of the General Meeting, Board of Directors, Emergency Committee and standing and ad-hoc committees;

e) ensuring that the accounts of TTFA are properly managed and up to date;

f) the correspondence of TTFA;

g) relations with the Members, committees, FIFA, CONCACAF and CFU;

h) organising the General Secretariat;

i)the appointment and dismissal of staff working in the General Secretariat upon approval of the President;

j) the appointment and dismissal of managerial staff, upon approval of the President and the Board of Directors.

Any additional responsibilities and duties assigned to the General Secretary shall be stipulated in the Internal Organisation Regulations.

4 The General Secretary may not be a Delegate at the General Meeting or a Member of any body of TTFA.

2 The judicial bodies shall consist of a chairman, a deputy chairman and maximum five other Members.

3 The judicial bodies are to be composed in such a way that the Members, together, have the knowledge, abilities and specialist experience that is necessary for the due completion of their tasks. The chairmen of the judicial bodies shall be qualified to practise law.

3 The term of office of all Members shall be four years. The Members may be re-elected or relieved of their duties at any time, although they may only be relieved of their duties by the General Meeting.

4 The chairmen, deputy chairmen and other Members of the judicial bodies shall be proposed by the Board of Directors and confirmed by the General Meeting and may not be a member of any body of TTFA.

5 If the chairman, the deputy chairman or a member of a judicial body permanently ceases to perform his official function during his term of office, the Board of Directors shall appoint a replacement to serve until the next General Meeting, when a replacement will be elected for the remaining period of office.

6 The responsibilities and function of the judicial bodies shall be stipulated in the Disciplinary Code of TTFA and the Code of Ethics of TTFA.

1 The function of the Disciplinary Committee shall be governed by the Disciplinary Code of TTFA. In general, the Disciplinary Committee shall pass decisions only when at least three Members are present. In certain cases, as specified in the Disciplinary Code, the chairman may rule alone.

2 The Disciplinary Committee may pronounce the sanctions described in this Constitution and the Disciplinary Code of TTFA on Members, Officials, Players, Clubs and match and players’ agents.

3 These provisions do not affect the powers of the General Meeting and the Board of Directors with regard to the suspension and expulsion of Members.

4 The Board of Directors shall issue the Disciplinary Code of TTFA, which shall be in accordance with the principles laid down in the applicable FIFA Disciplinary Code.

Article 62Ethics Committee

1 The function of the Ethics Committee shall be governed by the Code of Ethics of TTFA. In general, the Ethics Committee shall pass decisions only when at least three of its members are present. In certain cases, as specified in the Code of Ethics, the chairman may rule alone.

2 The Ethics Committee may pronounce the sanctions described in this Constitution, the Code of Ethics of TTFA and the Disciplinary Code of TTFA on Officials, Players and match and players’ agents.

3 The Board of Directors shall issue the Code of Ethics of TTFA, which shall be in accordance with the principles laid down in the applicable FIFA Code of Ethics.

1 The function of the Appeal Committee shall be governed by the Disciplinary Code of TTFA and the Code of Ethics of TTFA. In general, the Appeal Committee shall pass decisions only when at least three of its members are present. In certain cases, as specified in the relevant regulations, the chairman may rule alone.

2 The Appeal Committee is responsible for hearing appeals against decisions from the Disciplinary Committee and the Ethics Committee that are not declared final by the relevant regulations of TTFA.

3 Decisions pronounced by the Appeal Committee may only be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, or to a national, independent Arbitration Tribunal in accordance with the provisions in this Constitution.

Article 64Disciplinary measures

The disciplinary measures are primarily:

1 for natural and legal persons:

a) a warning;

b) a reprimand;

c) a fine;

d) the return of awards.

2 for natural persons:

a) a caution;

b) an expulsion;

c) a match suspension;

d) a ban from the dressing rooms and/or the substitutes’ bench;

e) a ban from entering a stadium;

f) a ban on taking part in any football-related activity;

g) social work.

3 for legal persons:

a) a transfer ban;

b) playing a match without spectators;

c) playing a match on neutral territory;

d) a ban on playing in a particular stadium;

e) annulment of the result of the match;

f) expulsion from a competition;

g) a forfeit;

h) deduction of points;

i) relegation to a lower division;

j) replaying a match.

Photo: The Fatima College (right) and St Benedict’s College players huddle before kick off in 2015 SSFL action at Mucurapo Road.(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)

Article 65Arbitration

1 Disputes in the Association or disputes affecting Leagues, members of Leagues, Clubs, members of Clubs, Players, Officials and Officials of other Associations, shall not be submitted to Ordinary Courts, unless the FIFA regulations, this Constitution or binding legal provisions specifically provide for or stipulate recourse to Ordinary Courts.

2 Instead, such disputes as specified in par. 1 shall be taken to an independent Arbitration Tribunal created by TTFA. The Board of Directors shall issue special regulations regarding the composition, jurisdiction and procedural rules of this Arbitration Tribunal.

2 As long as such Arbitration Tribunal has not been duly installed by TTFA and recognised by the General Meeting, any dispute of national dimension may only be referred in the last instance to CAS.

Article 66Jurisdiction

1 Recourse may only be made to an Arbitration Tribunal in accordance with the foregoing article once all internal channels of TTFA have been exhausted or if the dispute does not fall under the jurisdiction of the judicial bodies.

2 TTFA shall have jurisdiction on internal national disputes, i.e. disputes between parties belonging to TTFA. FIFA shall have jurisdiction on international disputes, i.e. disputes between parties belonging to different Associations and/or Confederations.

Photo: Pro League CEO Dexter Skeene (right) is in deep conversation with former Trinidad and Tobago standout Ron La Forest at the inaugural Wired868 Football Festival in 2013.(Courtesy Allan V Crane/ Wired868)

Article 67Court of Arbitration for Sport

1 In accordance with the relevant provisions of the FIFA Statutes, any appeal against a final and binding decision passed by FIFA, CONCACAF or the leagues shall be heard by the CAS, unless another Arbitration Tribunal has jurisdiction in accordance with art. 69. CAS shall not, however, hear appeals on violations of the Laws of the Game, and suspensions of up to four matches or up to three months (with the exception of doping decisions).

2 TTFA shall ensure its full compliance and that of all those subject to its jurisdiction with any final decision passed by a FIFA body, by a CONCACAF body, by the Arbitration Tribunal recognised by TTFA or by the CAS.

V. FINANCE

Article 68Financial period

1 The financial period of TTFA shall be one year and shall begin on 1 January and end on 31 December.

2 The revenue and expenses of TTFA shall be managed so that they balance out over the financial period. TTFA’s major duties in the future shall be guaranteed through the creation of reserves.

3 The General Secretary is responsible for drawing up the annual consolidated accounts of TTFA with its subsidiaries as at 31 December.

Article 69Revenue

The revenue of TTFA arises specifically from:

a) FIFA and CONCACAF grants

b) receipts generated by the marketing of rights to which TTFA is entitled;

c) fines imposed by the authorised bodies;

d) other subscriptions and receipts in keeping with the objectives pursued by TTFA;

b) other expenses approved by the General Meeting and expenses that the Board of Directors is entitled to incur within the scope of its authority;

c) all other expenses in keeping with the objectives pursued by TTFA.

Article 71Independent external auditors

The independent external auditors appointed by the General Meeting shall audit the accounts approved by the Finance Committee in accordance with the appropriate principles of accounting and present a report to the General Meeting. The auditors shall be appointed for a period of one year. This mandate may be renewed.

Article 72Membership subscriptions

1 Membership subscriptions are due by the end of February of each year. However, the Board of Directors, upon reasonable explanation being given by a Member for its failure to pay its subscription by the date specified may, in its discretion, extend the time to permit payment of the said subscription by the Member

The annual subscription for new Members for the year in question shall be paid within 30 days of the close of the General Meeting at which they are admitted.

2 The General Meeting shall fix the amount of the annual subscription on the recommendation of the Board of Directors.

Photo: North East Stars captain and goalkeeper Cleon John saves a penalty against San Juan Jabloteh during the 2014 First Citizens Cup semifinals at the Ato Boldon Stadium.(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Article 73Settlement

TTFA may debit any Member’s assets to settle claims.

Article 74Levies

TTFA may demand that a levy be paid by its Members for matches.

VI. COMPETITIONS AND RIGHTS IN COMPETITIONS AND EVENTS

Article 75Competitions

1 TTFA organises and coordinates the official competitions held within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

2 The Board of Directors may delegate to TTFA’s subordinate leagues the authority to organise competitions by means of a proper and comprehensive agreement. The competitions organised by these leagues shall not interfere with those competitions organised by TTFA. Competitions organised by TTFA shall take priority.

3 The Board of Directors may issue special regulations to this end.

Photo: A female football fan (right) shoots for goal at halftime during the 2014 First Citizens Cup semifinals at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.Looking on is Pro League employee Roger Henry.(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Article 76Rights

1 TTFA and its Members are the original owners of all of the rights emanating from competitions and other events coming under their respective jurisdiction, without any restrictions as to content, time, place and law. These rights include, among others, every kind of financial rights, audiovisual and radio recording, reproduction and broadcasting rights, multimedia rights, marketing and promotional rights and incorporeal rights such as emblems and rights arising under copyright law.

2 The Board of Directors shall decide how and to what extent these rights are utilised and issue special regulations to this end.

Article 77Authorisation

TTFA and its Members are exclusively responsible for authorising the distribution of image and sound and other data carriers of football matches and events coming under their respective jurisdiction, and without any restrictions.

VII. INTERNATIONAL MATCHES AND COMPETITIONS

Article 78International matches and competitions

1 The authority for organising international matches and competitions between representative teams and between Leagues, Club teams and/or scratch teams lies solely with FIFA, the Confederation(s) and/or the Association(s) concerned. No such match or competition shall take place without the prior permission of FIFA, the Confederation(s) and/or the Association(s) concerned in accordance with the FIFA Regulations Governing International Matches.

2 TTFA is bound to comply with the international match calendar compiled by FIFA.

TTFA, its Members, Players, Officials and match and players’ agents shall not play matches or make sporting contact with Associations that are not Members of FIFA or with provisional Members of a Confederation without the approval of FIFA.

Article 80Approval

1 Clubs, Leagues or any other group of Clubs that are affiliated to TTFA may only join another Association with the authorisation of TTFA, the other Association, the respective Confederation(s) and FIFA.

2 Clubs, Leagues or any other group of Clubs that are affiliated to TTFA cannot participate in competitions on the territory of another Association without the authorisation of TTFA, the other Association(s), FIFA and the respective Confederation(s) according to the FIFA Regulations Governing International Matches.

VIII. FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 81Unforeseen contingencies and force majeure

The Board of Directors shall have the power to decide on all cases of force majeure and on all matters not provided for in this Constitution, such decisions to be made according to right and justice, taking into account the relevant regulations of TTFA, FIFA and CONCACAF.

Photo: A Trinidad and Tobago football fan supports the national team at the Germany 2006 World Cup.(Copyright AFP 2014/Lluis Gene)

Article 82Dissolution

1 Any decision relating to the dissolution of TTFA requires a majority of three quarters of all of the Members, which must be obtained at a General Meeting specially convened for the purpose.

2 If TTFA is disbanded, its assets shall be transferred to Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee. It shall hold these assets as a trustee in accordance with the relevant professional duties until TTFA is re-established. The final General Meeting may, however, choose another recipient for the assets on the basis of a two-thirds majority.

Article 83Enforcement

This Constitution was adopted at the General Meeting in Port of Spain, Trinidad on July 12, 2015 and will come into force immediately upon ratification. It supersedes any previous constitution of the TTFA.

Editor’s Note: Article 33 of the TTFA constitution was amended in the 2017 AGM to give the Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) a representative on the board of directors.

Article 3 – it would be nice if the constitution explicits banned an elected member of government from holding office. That is required to ensure partisan politics doesn’t influence decision making.

Article 4 – clause required to indicate that these provisions do not remove legal rights under the T&T constitution. It should also make reference to a standing committee to handle disputes with clear escalation and appeal procedures.

Article 7 should also acknowledge that TTFA is bound by the Company’s Act under which they are incorporated.

Article 9 – need to distinguish between a member’s representative and the member themselves. You should be able to ban a representative without penalising the member.

Article 10.2.d seems to imply loss of legal recourse unless FIFA, TTFA or CONCACAF allows it. I mentioned this issue previously. As much as FIFA postures, it cannot be a law unto itself. Recent events have shown that conclusively.

I am not in favour of a delegate system. Every member should have a vote in a general meeting of members.

Board members should be elected in rotation.

Article 34.6 – The constitution seems to imply that players cannot be a Board member.

Article 62 doesn’t seem to allow the Ethics Committee to sanction a TTFA member or official.

Curious that government subventions aren’t mentioned as revenue in Article 69.

Over the years, this question has popped up repeatedly. How is the TTFA, as an entity, registered in Trinidad & Tobago. Perhaps one of the most frightening revelations about the TTFF, under Oliver Camps, was that it was at some time registered in the Companies Registry in his name as a sole trader! How could this have happened? Maybe it was why, when the TTFF needed cash at one time to secure a coach, Camps could have mortgaged his private property to generate theses funds (as a sole trader there was no separation, legally, between the assets of Oliver Camps and the assets of the TTFF or their respective liabilities, as he learned to his eventual detriment).
In light of this, what is the locus standi of the current TTFA as a corporate entity within the precincts of Trinidad & Tobago, Mr Bakes?

Lasana Liburd – In Article 34 (Election if the members of the Board of Directors) – there’s a paragraph (2) that implies a representstive from the Players Association will serve as one of the 13 members of the Board of Directors. However, Article 33 (Composition) of the Board of Directors does not list the Players Association as member of the BODs. A bit strange isn’t it?

Good eye, Carlos! One clause should not invalidate the other. If the provision is for a Players’ Association rep to be on the Board, then that post will be a vacant one if no PA exists. It should not mean that the post itself should not exist. If we don’t have any, say, Chaconia Medal awardees this year, does the Chaconia Medal cease to exist?

3 weeks agoby wired868Save boi! T&T Maestros goalkeeper Jaydon Thomas keeps out a shot with the help of the bar during RBYL North Zone Under-13 action at the Queen’s Park Savannah on 27 April 2019. Photo: Allan V Crane/CA-Images/RBYL

3 weeks agoby wired868Chip off the old block? Mayo Youths attacker Tyrique Phillip (left) is on the prowl during RBYL South Zone Under-13 action on 7 April 2019. Tyrique is the son of Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team goalkeeper and 2001 World Youth Cup player, Marvin Phillip. Photo: Allan V Crane/CA-Images/Wired868

1 week agoby wired868So close... Crown Trace goalkeeper Michael Frederick (left) uses his right boot to keep out an attempt on goal from San Juan Jabloteh’s Kellon John (centre) during RBYL U-11 action in Macoya on 11 May 2019. Photo: Allan V Crane/CA-Images/Wired868